Variable width boring head assembly for continuous mining machine



Nov. 29, 1966 J. GONSKI VARIABLE WIDTH BORING HEAD ASSEMBLY FOR CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1964 INVENTOR. ,0/7 60/2516 ORA/5Y6 Nov. 29, 1966 J. GONSKI 3,288,535

VARIABLE WIDTH BORING HEAD ASSEMBLY FOR CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A INVENTOR.

Jose b60056 X H% Qp TOZNEYS Nov. 29, 1966 J. GONSKI 3,288,535

VARIABLE WIDTH BORING HEAD ASSEMBLY FOR CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

Jasepfi 60/2514 Nov. 29, 1966 J. GONSKI VARIABLE WIDTH BORING HEAD ASSEMBLY FOR CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 22, 1964 I N VENTOR. Joseph 60/7514 United States Patent ce 3,288,535 VARHABLE WIDTH BORING HEAD ASSEMBLY FUR CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE Joseph Gonski, Chicago, 11]., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 361,763 11 Claims. (Cl. 299-59) This invention relates to improvements in continuous mining machines of the boring type and more particularly relates to an improved form of variable width boring head assembly for such machines.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved form of boring head assembly for a continuous mining machine so arranged as to enable the spacing betwen the boring shafts to readily be varied to accommodate the boring heads to mine working places of various widths.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of boring head assembly for continuous mining machines having a plurality of forwardly extending boring heads mounted on power driven shafts, in which the shafts are journlalled in adapters capable of being positioned into a plurality of positions to vary the distances between the centers of the boring shafts and to thereby vary the width of the working place being bored.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of variable cutting width continuous mining machine having :at least two spaced boring heads rotatably carried on boring shafts, in which the shafts are carried on adapters laterally positionable in a plurality of different horizontal positions without interfering with the drive to the shafts, and thereby enabling the cutting width of the machine to be readily varied.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of variable spacing boring assembly for a continuous mining machine of the multiple boring type having at least two boring shafts having boring heads thereon with geared drive connections to the boring shafts including individual drive shafts for each boring shaft, spaced radially thereof, in which the boring shafts are mounted in rotatable adapters, rotatable about axes eccentric of the centers of the drive shafts and positionable to retain the boring head shafts in at least two horizontally aligned laterally spaced positions with respect to their drive shafts, to be driven from these drive shafts in these positions.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the forward end portion of a continuous mining machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in longitudinal section;

FIGURE 2 is a partial fragmentary front end view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1, with the boring heads broken away and with the drive shafts therefor shown in transverse section;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken through the main support housing for the boring heads with certain parts broken away; v

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front end view of a front boring head adapter and showing the adapter in its various operative positions;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary end View showing the rear adapter for a boring head drive shaft; and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view schematically illustrating the gear trains for driving the boring heads.

Patented Nov. 29, 1966 In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown in FIGURE 1, a continuous mining machine of the multiple boring type having a mobile base or main frame 10 forming a support for a supporting housing 11 extending in advance of said main frame. The suporting housing 11 forms a bearing support for a pair of laterally spaced rotary boring heads 12, supported in advance of said main frame for rotation about parallel horizontal axes on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of said main frame, and for gear trains for driving said boring heads. The rotary boring heads 12 may be of a conventional form and are no part of the present invention, except insofar as the support and the drive therefor is concerned, so need not herein be shown or described further.

The main frame 10 is supported on laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices 13, which serve to tram the machine from working place to working place and to feed the boring heads 12 into a mine face. The continuous traction tread devices 13 may be of a well known form, driven from individual motors and speed reducers (not shown) in a conventional manner, so not herein shown 01' described further.

The main supporting housing 11 also forms a support for an upper trimmer or cutter bar 15 extending across the forward end of said housing in rearwardly spaced relation with respect to the boring heads 12 and having a trimmer chain 16 guided for movement therealong for cutting out the cusps depending from the mine roof between the boring heads 12. The trimmer bar 15 is mounted on the usual hydraulic jacks 17, mounted on the forward. end of the supporting housing 11 and extending vertically of said supporting housing.

A lower trimmer bar 18 extends across the forward end portion of a frame structure 19 for the receiving end portion of the conveyor of the machine (not shown) and is suitably mounted thereon. The conveyor may be a conventional form of conveyor commonly used on continuous mining machines and may extend along the main frame 10 from a position adjacent the ground in advance of the forward end of said main frame along said main frame and beyond the rear end thereof. The lower trimmer bar 18 being fixed to the conveyor frame 19 is raised with said conveyor frame structure to clear the ground, when it is desired to tram the machine from working place to working place.

The trimmer chain 16 is trained about corner sprockets 20, 20 at opposite ends of the upper trimmer bar 15. From thence, the trimmer chain extends angularly inwardly and downwardly, one run of said chain being trained about a pair of coaxial drive sprockets 21 on a drive shaft 22, and the other run of the trimmer chain 16 being trained about laterally spaced idler sprockets (not shown), in a conventional manner. From thence, the chain is trained outwardly and downwardly about corner sprockets 23, 23 at opposite ends of the lower trimmer bar 18 and along said trimmer bar for trimming the cusp extending upwardly of the mine floor between the boring heads 12, 12.

The main supporting housing 11 is supported on the forward end portion of the main frame 10 to extend in advance thereof and for angular adjustment about axes extending transversely and longitudinally of the main frame, on fluid pressure jacks 24, 24, secured to a rear end portion of the supporting housing 11 at opposite sides thereof and supported on pivotal support members 25, of a conventional form. Hydraulic jacks (not shown) spaced rearwardly of the supporting housing 11 may also be provided to tilt the trimmer bars 15 and 18 and the boring heads 12 about the axes of connection of the jacks 24, 24 to the main frame 10, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, so not herein shown or described further.

The supporting housing 11 has laterally spaced motors 27 suitably mounted on a rear wall 29 thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom (FIGURE 1). Each motor 27 has a motor shaft 30 journaled in the rear wall 29 on ball bearings 31. The motor shaft 30 extends within the housing 11 and has a motor pinion 32 on its inner end meshing with and driving a drive gear 33 on a longitudinal shaft 35. Each shaft 35 has a spur pinion 36 thereon, meshing with and driving a spur gear 37 on a parallel shaft 39 disposed above the shaft 35. The shaft 39 is shown in FIGURE 3 as having a pinion 40 formed integrally therewith and meshing with and driving a spur gear 41 on a shaft 43, parallel to the shaft 39, and spaced outwardly of and below the shaft 39. The shaft 43 has a spur pinion 44, keyed or otherwise secured thereto and meshing with a spur gear 45 on a boring shaft 46, journaled in the supporting housing 11 in a manner which will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds. The shaft 46 projects outwardly of the housing 11 and forms a mounting for a boring head 12. Each boring shaft 46 also has a timing gear 47 keyed or otherwise secured thereto meshing with a gear 49 freely mounted on the drive shaft 43. The spur gears 49 form the drive gears of a timing gear train 50 connecting th two boring shafts 46 together, to assure that the two shafts will be simultaneously driven in timed relation with respect to each other.

The spur gear 37 on the side of the supporting housing 11, which is shown in FIGURE 3 as being the right hand side of said supporting housing meshes with and drives a spur gear 51, which in turn meshes with and drives the spur gear 53 on the inner end of the drive shaft 22 for the sprockets 21, for driving said sprockets and the trimmer chain 16, along the trimmer bars 15 and 18.

Referring now in particular to the bearing mountings for the boring shafts 46, positioning said shafts to be driven from the spur gears 44 in a plurality of horizontally aligned laterally spaced positions with respect to the longitudinal center of the machine, each boring shaft 46 is journaled in a rear adapter 55 and in an axially aligned front adapter 56, mounted on and projecting forwardly of a front wall 57 of the support housing 11. Each front adapter 56 has a hub portion 59, projecting forwardly of said front wall and forming a mounting for ball bearings 60 journalling the boring shaft 46 in said adapter.

Each rear adapter 55 is mounted in an opening 61 of an intermediate wall 62 of the support housing 11 and has a flange 63 extending therefrom, abutting the front face of the wall 62 and secured thereto, as by machine screws 64. Ball bearings 65 eccentric of the center of the adapter 55 and in axial alignment with the axis of the ball bearings 60 are carried by the adapter 55, and form a bearing mounting for the rear end of the boring shaft 46.

Each shaft 46 extends through an opening 66 in the front plate 57, which opening is large enough to accomrnodate the boring shaft 46 to be positioned in at least two laterally extended positions of adjustment with respect to the longitudinal center of the machine (FIGURE 3). The opening 66 terminates at its outer end portion into an enlarged diameter outwardly opening shouldered recess 67. An annular rib 69 concentric with the opening 66 and eccentric of the axis of rotation of the shaft 46, fits within the shouldered recess 67. A flange 70 of the adapter 56 extends outwardly of the rib 69 and abuts the front face of the front plate 57. The flange 70, as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 4 has oppositely facing notches 71 and 72 therein, conforming to the associated hydraulic jack 17 and partially recessing said jack in said flange, when the adapter is in either of its positions of adjustment. Machine screws 73 are provided to secure the adapters 56 in position on the front plate 57 of the housing 11.

In FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5, the adapters 55 and 56 are shown as being in their innermost positions of adjustment to position the boring heads to cut a working place of minimum width. However, as the adapters 56 are turned around to position the recesses 72 to partially recess the associated hydraulic jacks 17 Within the flanges 70, the hubs 59 will be moved outwardly to the broken line positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 and 6, positioning the boring heads in outermost cutting positions. It is, of course, understood that the two adapters 55 and 56 are adjustably moved together to'align the axis of rotation of the associated boring shaft 46 with the axis of rotation of the associated drive shaft 43, and that when the adapters are in position, the rear adapters 55 are held in position by the .cap screws 64 while the front adapters 56 are held in position by the cap screws 73, threaded on the front plate 57.

It will here be noted that the gears 45 and 47 are in mesh with the respective gears 44 and 49 in the two operative positions of the shafts 46 and boring heads 12, and are out of mesh with the gears 44 and 49, except in these two positions. The boring shafts 46, therefore, are swung about axes which are not concentric with the axes of the drive shafts 43.

It should be understood that while the gears 44 and 45 would always be in mesh if swung about the axes of the shafts 43, due to space limitations, it would not be practical to provide adapters large enough to be adjustably moved about the centers of the drive shafts 43, since adapters capable of doing this would be so large as to encroach on the throat area for the receiving end of the conveyor of the continuous miner and would also increase the vertical height of the main supporting housing 11, to an undesirable extent.

It should also be understood that while the adapters 55 and 56 are generally cylindrical and the bearings for the boring shafts are eccentric of the centers of the adapters, that the adapters need not be cylindrical but may be rectangular or of any other form desired. The adapters also may be laterally slidable in their support plates if desired.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various modifications and variations in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a variable width boring assembly for a multiple boring head continuous miner, a main supporting housing, a pair of horizontally spaced boring shaft adapters mounted on said housing, said adapters having a pair of parallel boring shafts rotatably supported thereon, each adapter having its corresponding boring shaft eccentrically located thereon, each adapter also being positionable on said housing in two operative positions, means detach-ably securing each adapter in position on said main supporting housing in each operative posit-ion thereof, each position being attained by rotation of the adapter in the housing with respect to the other position whereby the spacing be tween the boring shafts is adjustable to cut a narrow or a wide room, each boring shaft having a driven gear carried thereby and concentric therewith, driving gear means in said casing and meshed with said driven gears in the operative positions of said boring shafts, and motor means for driving said driving gear means.

2. A variable width boring head assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which each boring shaft has front and rear adapters rotatably journaling said boring shaft at axially spaced locations.

3. A variable width boring head assembly according to claim 1 in which the driving gear means and the driven gear means are in mesh only in the two operative positions of each adapter. w

4. In a variable width boring head assembly for a multiple boring head type of continuous miner, a main supporting housing, a pair of boring shaft adapters horizontally spaced apart on said housing and being rotatably adjustable in like amounts about respective parallel central axes between at least two operative positions, means for fastening each adapter to said housing in each of said operative positions, a forwardly extending boring shaft rotatably journaled in each adapter for rotation about a boring axis eccentric and parallel with the respective central axis of adjustment of the respective adapter, whereby the spacing between the boring shafts is variable to cut a narrow or wider room, when said adapters are rotatably adjusted to and fastened in corresponding operative positions, a driven gear on each boring shaft, a. drive shaft Within said housing for each boring shaft, each drive shaft being in spaced parallel relation with respect to the corresponding central and boring axes, power means for driving said drive shafts and driving gear means carried by each drive shaft and meshed with the corresponding driven gear in said respective operative positions of said adapters.

5. In a variable width multiple boring head structure for a continuous miner, a main supporting housing, a pair of boring shaft adapters horizontally spaced apart on said main supporting housing for rotatable adjustment in like amounts about parallel central axes between at least two operative positive positions, means for fastening each adapter to said main supporting housing in each of said operative positions, a forwardly extendng boring shaft rotatably journaled in each adapter about a boring axis eccentric to and parallel with the respective central axis of the associated adapter, whereby the spacing between the boring shaifts is variable to cut a narrow or wider room when said adapters are rotatably adjusted to and fastened in corresponding operative positions, a driven gear on each boring shaft, a drive shaft within said casing for each boring shaft, each drive shaft being in spaced parallel relation with the corresponding central and boring axes, power means for driving said drive shafts, driving gear means carried by each of said drive shafts and engaged with a corresponding driven gear in said respective operative positions of said adapters, a timing gear on each boring shaft, a train of gears connecting said timing gears together and including driving gears on said drive shafts in mesh with said timing gears in the operative positions of said adapters and boring shafts.

6. A variable width boring head structure in accordance with claim in which the drive shafts are off center from the axes of the boring shaft adapters.

7. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame, a main supporting housing mounted on said main frame for adjustable movement with respect thereto, a pair of boring shaft adapters horizontally spaced apart on said housing for rotatable adjustable movement in like amounts about parallel central axes between at least two operative positions, means for fastening each adapter to said housing in each of said operative positions, a forwardly extending boring shaft rotatably journaled in each adapter for rotation about a boring axis eccentric to and parallel with the respective central axis of adjustment of said adapter, whereby the spacing between the boring shafts is variable to cut a narrow or wider room when said adapters are rotatably adjusted to and fastened corresponding operative positions, a driven gear on each boring shaft, a drive shaft within said casing for each boring shaft, each drive shaft being off center from the central axis of adjustable movement of the associated adapter, power means for driving said drive shafts, driving gear means carried by each said drive shaft and engaged with a corresponding driven gear only when the adapter and boring shaft is in its respective operative positions.

8. A continuous mining mach-inc in accordance with claim 7 in which a timing-gear is mounted on each boring shaft and has driving engagement therewith, wherein a timing gear train connects said timing gears together and includes driving gears freely mounted on said drive shafts, and wherein said timing gear is in mesh with said driving gears only in the operative positions of said adapters and drive shafts.

9. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame, a supporting housing adjustably mounted on said main frame, said housing having a front wall having a pair of adapters horizontally spaced apart on said front wall and mounted for adjustable movement along said front wall between two horizontally spaced operative positions, means for fastening each adapter to said front wall in each of said operative positions, a forwardly extending boring shaft rotatably journalled in each adapter for rotation about a boring axis eccentric of and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the machine and positioned by said adapters in variable spaced relation With respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine, to cut a narrow or wider room when said adapters are rotatably adjusted to and fastened in corresponding operative positions, a driven gear on each boring shaft, a drive shaft within said housing for each boring shaft, each drive shaft being in spaced parallel relation with theaxis of rotation of an associated boring shaft, drive means for driving said drive shafts, and driving gears carried by said each drive shaft and meshed with said driven gears only when said adapters and boring shafts are in their respective operative positions.

10. A continuous mining'machine in accordance with claim 9 in which a timing gear train is rotatably journalled in said housing and includes timing driven gears on said boring shafts in mesh with timing driving gears of said timing gear train only in the operative positions of said retainers and boring shafts.

11. A continuous mining machine in accordance with claim 9 in which longitudinally spaced forward and rear adapters form laterally adjustable supports for each boring shaft in said housing, and are adjustable in like amounts between at least two horizontally spaced positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,694,563 11/1954 Graham 29959 2,878,001 3/ 1959 Snyder et a1. 29959 3,148,918 9/1964 Sibley 29959 PURSER, Primary Examiner, 

1. IN A VARIABLE WIDTH BORING ASSEMBLY FOR A MULTIPLE BORING HEAD CONTINUOUS MINER, A MAIN SUPPORTING HOUSING, A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED BORING SHAFT ADAPTERS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING, SAID ADAPTERS HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL BORING SHAFTS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED THEREON, EACH ADAPTER HAVING ITS CORRESPONDING BORING SHAFT ECCENTRICALLY LOCATED THEREON, EACH ADAPTER ALSO BEING POSITIONABLE ON SAID HOUSING IN TWO OPERATIVE POSITONS, MEANS DETACHABLY SECURING EACH ADAPTER IN POSITION ON SAID MAIN SUPPORTING HOUSING IN EACH OPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF, EACH POSITION BEING ATTAINED BY ROTATION OF THE ADAPTER IN THE HOUSING WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER POSITION WHEREBY THE SPACING BETWEEN THE BORING SHAFTS IS ADJUSTABLE TO CUT A NARROW OR A WIDE ROOM, EACH BORING SHAFT HAVING A DRIVEN GEAR CARRIED THEREBY AND CONCENTRIC THEREWITH, DRIVING GEAR MEANS IN SAID CASING AND MESHED WITH SAID DRIVEN GEARS IN THE OPERATIVE POSITIONS OF SAID BORING SHAFTS, AND MOTOR MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID DRIVING GEAR MEANS. 